Happy Birthday

Ugly Overload turns two years old today. That means that UgO can finally ambulate on two feet, can speak in quasi-comprehensible complete sentences, and is almost due to be potty trained. But until that time, I look forward to another year of ugly. I hope you do too. I'm not the activist type, but I consider it my personal duty to bring you animals that are otherwise ignored or shunned.


Like butterflies.


Laura sent me this shot she took in Florida's Butterfly World. She prides herself in this photo, not so much because of the colorful wings and snazzy thorax, but because of that alien face. This just goes to show that sometimes even pretty things shouldn't be looked at too closely.


Thanks, Laura.

Parasitic Castration

Jade, one of our resident arachnophiles, forwarded this lovely set of photos. You're looking at what happens when a Mermithid (almost a pretty word) worm (not a pretty word) reaches maturity.

Here's a quote from the post on What's That Bug:

Mermithid worms are internal parasites whose infective larvae enter spiders directly or via ingested food. Once inside the spider, the tiny worm obtains nourishment from it's hosts body fluids, digestive glands, gonads ('parasitic castration') and muscles...Eventually in a scene reminiscent of the movie "Alien", the gorged worm bursts out of the body of the debilitated spider, which finally dies after this macabre event...

This worm, like others I've posted on, often directs its host to seek water in its final moments of life.

Thanks, Jade. Spiders and Alien-style parasites in one post. I'll never be the same.

Mele Kalikimaka

Today is Friday. It is my last day of work before a four day weekend. That makes me happy. How synchronistic was it then, that Danielle sent me a photo of one of the happiest creepy crawlies around.

Say hello to the happy face spider (Theridion grallator). They are native--surprise, surprise--to several of the Hawaiian islands. They call it the nananana makakiʻi. So, if you find yourself suffering from the holiday blues, just think of this happy mother. If she can find happiness, so can you.

Thanks for the photo, Danielle.

Photo source: Frost Fire Seeds

Snapping Turtle Handling

Snapping turtles never look happy, but this one looks grumpier than normal (I would be too, if I were hauled around like this). But check out that tongue--the night crawler looking thing. That's what it wiggles while it lies in wait at the bottom of ponds and streams. Any fish who ventures too close for a nibble get nibbled itself.

Here's a tip to those of you who find yourself in the position of having to move one of these creatures: don't pick them up by their tails--you'll hurt them. Don't grab them by their shells (unless you are experienced at so doing)--they'll hurt you. Instead, use a shovel to scoop them up and deposit them elsewhere.

Stay tuned for your next installment of Snapping Turtle Handling Thursday.

Thanks for the photo, Mary.

ROUS

If there is one thing our planet is woefully short on, it's giant rats. Thankfully, an expedition into pristine wilderness territory in Indonesia has yielded just that: a new species of Rodent Of Unusual Size.

This specimen weighs in a a cool three pounds. That makes it five times larger than your average city rat. What makes this tale (tail...) even more charming, is that the rodent was fearless of humans. It even wandered into camp a few times (you have so much to learn about us humans, lil' rat).

The man in the photo, a mammal expert named Martua Sinaga, has more spine than I. It would take a lot (a promise to pay off my mortgage, for instance) to cause me to pick up a heretofore unknown species of giant rat with my bare hands.

Thanks for the story, Hank, Jenny, and Rick.

Photo source: National Geographic

Rhino Mouse

What you're looking at is a mouse afflicted with the 'rhino' mutant gene(s). It is a variant on the more comman hairless variety. It's a nasty condition to have. I'm not savvy enough with the scientific terms used in the articles about this mutation, but beyond being hairless, these creatures develop long nails, cysts, glandular problems and a series of skin disorders (obviously).

If there are any biologists our there that can distill the scientific reports into layman's terms, I would be much obliged.

Thanks for the photo, Teresa.

Bug Eyed

Monica saw my post on the hairworm and dug this up for us. The video speaks for itself (literally), but only watch it if you're okay with watching worms control the brain of a snail from its pulsating home inside the snail's eye stalks.

This is Ugly Overload, people. You knew what kind of site this was when you came here.

98.76%

Photos like this remind me that the eight-year-old boy in me never really grew up. He has lots to say about these chimps. But the 'grown' man he has supposedly become will try to exert himself and come up with something worthwhile...

Though chimpanzees are 98.76% identical to humans genetically. The 1.34% difference results in denser bones (they shy away from water because they sink), tougher skin, a strength that is 5-7 times greater than humans (I am 0 and 3 in arm wrestling chimps), and redder, knobbier butts.

I'm no ape expert, but I'm guessing the chimp on the left is the male, and the one on the right is female. I'm also guessing it's mating season. Nothing sets the mood in Chimpland quite like a red rear end.

Photo source: Mark Ferbert